Stamp-affixing machine.



w. H. GAL.

STAMP AFFIXING MACHINE.

APPUCATION FILED DEC. 10, 1914.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

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STAMP AFFIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 10, 19M.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

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wi tweooeb no. wuumamu WILLIAM H. GALE, O'E'PROVIDENGE, .RHGIDE ISLAND.

STAMP-AFFIXING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19,1918.

Application filed-December 10, 1914. Serial No. 876,424.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. GALE, a citizen of theUnited States, and resident of the city of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stamp-Aflixing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to stamp affixing machines. and has for its object to provide such a machine of a small size and which is of simple and practical construction the same having, a stamp afixing plunger and feed rolls for, advancing a strip of stamps to be severed at predetermined intervals and automatically ailixing a stamp to an envelop or other mail matter all by the opera tion of the plunger.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the feed rolls are positively operated by the action of the plunger to feed the strip the length of one stamp at a time and to positively limit each feeding movement of said rolls and so prevent an over-feeding of the stamp strip where the plunger is forced down rapidly.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the rolls may be operated independent of the action of the plunger for the purpose of adjusting the stamp strip relativeto the cutters.

The invention further consists in the provision of means whereby the feeding rolls cannot be operated to feed the stamp strip without operating the counter thereby rendering it impossible for any person to surreptitiously remove stamps without causing the same to be registered.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved machine with the casing partly broken away to better illustrate the internal mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a central sectional side Lelevation showing the stamp roll located in the base beneath the plunger and the stamp strip leading therefrom through the feed rolls to the cutter.

Fig. 3 is a front ielevatio n of my improved machine with the casing partially broken away to show the interior thereof.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation with the casing in section illustrating the means by which the feeding rolls are caused to operate, the counter also showing one of the springs'for returning the plunger to normal.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the general construction of the plunger with its two spaced apart guide bars and the rack and pinionmechanism through which the feeding rolls are operated by the action of said plunger.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation slightly enlarged showing the rack and the mutilated geail" through which the feed rollsare operate Fig. 7 is a front elevation showing the feed rolls, one being pressed downward by a spring and the other partly in section showing it as provided with frictional means whereby said rolls may be rotated independent of the action of the plunger forthe purpose of setting the strip relative to the cutters.

Fig. 8- is a front elevation of the mov able cutter blade. i

Fig. 9' shows the rack at the end of-its downward stroke and its plane edge serving as a positive stop against further rotation of the pinion.

Referring now to the drawings 10 designates the base portion of the outer casing 11,

which casing may be made of any suitable I material, but I preferably construct the same of a molded vulcanized fibrous material of a special character by the use of which I obtain several manufacturing advantages. The back plate 12 of this casing is adapted to be readily removed and by this means I am enabled to insert a skeleton frame portion 13 of stamped sheet stock in which the various parts of the mechanism are operatively mounted. In the lower portion of this skeleton frame I have provided longitudinal slots 14 into which the arbor 15 of the stamp roll 16* may he passed and rotatably mounted to locate the roll in the base portions'below the plunger where it occupies what in other machines of this character is waste. space. I have also provided on either side of this frame two pins 17 which serve as guides extending into slots 17 in the spaced apart guide bars 18' extending downward from the head or biting frictional grip between them.

bled to form a strong well guided structure and one of said bars arranged to carry a plurality of teeth 20 thereby producing a short section of rack for the purpose of en-.

gaging and operating the feed rolls in the manner presently described.

These feed rolls 21 and 212 are preferably formed of a diameter whose circumference is exactly the length of one of the stamps and are driven in time with each other through the gears 23 and The upper roll is provided with a yoke which is engaged by a spring "26 to press its surface against that of the lower roll to provide a One end of this roll is provided with a short shaft 27 to the outer end of which is secured a knurled finger nut 28, the opposite end of this lower roll is drilled and a short split shaft 29. is forced therein to provide a friction surface through which these feed rolls are driven by the movement of the. plunger and this construction also permits this roll to be turned by means of the thumb ,nut 8 independently of the action of said plunger for the purpose of setting the stamp strip relative to the cutters. This feature is of particular advantage especially in affixing machines where rolls are employed for feed ing the strip as in some cases it is found necessary to provide an adjustment for the strip in order to compensate for any creeping during the feeding action, so that the strip will always be severed exactly midway between the abutting ends of the stamps. V

In order to provide simple and effective means for rotating these rolls to feed the strip as the plunger advances, l have mounted a pinion 30 on the friction shaft 29 whose teeth are adapted to engage those of the rack 20 and in order that this pinion should be operated during the stroke of the plunger in one direction only, I have removed some of the teeth as at 31 therefrom, and on the end of the pinion I have provided a finger positioned to project over the side thereof and arranged to be engaged by a pawl pivoted at 8s on the rack, which pawl is V normally held in engaging position by the 7 spring 35 against the stop pin 36, whereby when the plunger is in its up position this finger is in position to be engaged by the end of the pawl to start the pinion rotating and bring its teeth into engagement with those of the rack whereby a continued downward movement of the plunger rotates this pinion one complete revolution bringing the blank portion 31 of the pinion opposite the toothed portion of the rack, by which construction the rack may be returned to its up position under action of the springs 57 with out engaging or operating the pinion and its feedln rolls and as the pawl aasses the finger which now lies in a horizontal po- 'sothis. action is repeated as often and as rapidly as the plunger may be operated.

It will be noted that there are only sufficient teeth in the rack to rotate this pinion the required amount after which the plane surface 58 of the rack serves as a positive stop to prevent further rotation of theipinion in the feeding direction.

In order to prevent a retrograde and backward action of the rolls or of the plunger, providing the latter should be carried part way down, I have mounted a pawl 37 so that its end will engage the teeth of this pinion and permit it to rotate in one direction but positively prevent it from turning backward and therefore this plunger is obliged after having once started to make a complete downward stroke to bring the blank portion 31 of the gear 30 opposite the. rack before the plunger is permitted to return to normal.

ln'order to insure an accurate accountbeing kept of the stamps issued 1 have mounted a counter 38 of usual construction in the frame of the machine and have connected the same through levers 39 and 40 so that the upper end ll of lever 40 is engaged by the finger or pin are in the short shaft 27 whereby each complete feeding revolution of the'rolls causes the counter to register,

, thus preserving an exact count of the number of stamns used from the machine. Each time the shaft 27 is rotated the pm or finger 42 engages the end not the lever 40 and spring knife blade 46, which may be formed in any suit-ableway but as an effective construct-ion I have made the middle portion of the blade in the form of a spur a? and the edges have been arranged on an upward slant from this spur toward the opposite edges of the blade, whereby a strip is first pierced by the spur and then cutv in opposite direction toward the opposite edge of the blade.

A pair of downwardly projecting fingers 48 have been provided one at either edge of the blade which are arranged to engage the rounded edged-9 of the fixed cutter plate 50. This fixed cutter plate is provided with an opening 51 through which the stamp is projected by the rolls just before the plate 46 descends to sever it.

The envelop is arranged to be moistened as it is passed along the table 52, by the end of the wick extending into a suitable reservoir portion 56 see Fig. 2 from which it receives its moisture by capillary attraction. I

fixing machine may be more fully described as follows z-- When the plunger is forced down the stamp rolls are rotated one complete revolution which draws outward the stamp strip from the roll 16 below, which, advances. one length of stamp through the aperture 51 in the knife plate 50 to be severed by the de, scending of the spring blade e6, the severed stamp being carried down' by a pad 45 against the moistened face of'the envelop. As the plunger is now released it is carried quickly upward by the action of the two spring fingers 57 ready to repeat the operation as often and as rapidly as desired.

By my improved construction no matter how rapidly the plunger is'forced downward the feed rolls are obliged to stop instantly when the plunger has finished its operating stroke and thereby effectually prevents any possibility of an over feeding of the stamp strip.

My improved stamp afiixing machine is very compact in its construction and very strong and durable.

Having thus described one illustrative ems bodiment of my invention I desire it to be understood that the specific terms employed are not for the purpose of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a stamp aflixer, an affixing plunger, positively driven rolls operated by the movement of said plunger for feeding a strip of stamps, a rack and pinion operated by the movement of said plunger, and a pawl engaging said pinion for preventing retrograde movement of said plunger after rotation of the rolls has been started.

2. In a stamp affiXer, an afiixing plunger, stamp strip feeding rolls, and means including a rack and mutilated pinion topositively operate said rolls to feed a stamp at each downward stroke of the plum er.

3. In a stamp affixer, an a King plunger, a pair of feeding rolls, means operated by said plunger for positively rotating said rolls to feed a strip of stamps, and friction means in connection with the rolls whereby the stamp strip may be adjusted relative to the cutter.

4. In a stamp affixer, an affixing plunger,

a pair of feeding rolls, means operated by said plunger for positively rotating said The operation of my improved stamp afrolls to feed a' strip of stamps, one of said rolls being provided with a recess, and a shaft located within said recess and having means whereby said rolls may be adjusted to set the stamp strip.

5. In a stamp afiixer, an affixing plunger, stamp strip feeding rolls, a rack carried by the plunger, a mutilated gear on one of said rolls engaged by said rack, the mutilated portion of the gear being positioned to interrupt rotation of the rolls at the end of one revolution thereof, and to maintain the rack and pinion in disengaged relation when the r plunger rises, and means wherebythe teeth of the mutilated gear may be again engaged with said rack.

6. In a stamp affixer, an affixing plunger, stamp strip feeding rolls, a rack carried by the plunger, a mutilated gear on one of said rolls engaged by said rack, the mutilated portion of the gear being positioned to interrupt rotation of the rolls at the end of one revolution thereof, and to maintain the rack and pinion in disengaged relation when the plunger rises, means whereby the teeth of the mutilated gear may be again engaged with said rack, and a pawl engaging said pinion for preventing a backward rotation of said rolls by reverse movement of the plunger.

7 In a stamp aifixer, an aflixing plunger, stamp strip feeding rolls, a rack carried by the plunger, a mutilated pinion on one of said rolls engaged by said rack, a pawl engaging member carried by said pinion and a pawl on said rack adapted to engage said 1 member for positively causing the latter to scend, and means for preventing a backward rotation of said rolls by any action of said plunger.

8. In a stamp afiixer, an affixing plunger,

, stamp strip feeding rolls, said plunger being provided with a pair of spaced apart guide bars and a presser foot, one of said bars carrying a rack, and a pinion on one of sald rolls engaging said rack by means of which i the rolls are actuated to feed the stamp strip.

9. In a stamp affixer, an afiixing plunger, stamp strip feeding rolls, a gear on one of said rolls, a rack attached to said plunger and engaging said gear, a stop on said gear,

means carried by the rack to engage said stop to initiate rotation of the gear, and a counterlever actuated by said stop.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. GALE.

Witnesses:

HOWARD E. BARLOW, A. F. MACREADY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the (Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

